Folding hay-rack



(No Model.) v 2 Shets-Sheet 1.

E. WHITE. FOLDING HAY RACK.

No. 461,227. Patented Oct. 13,1891

wibmemeo rue NORRIS PETERS co, wow-mum, msumm'on, n. c

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No-Model.)

E. WHITE. FOLDING HAY RAGK. No. 461,227. Patented Oct. 13,1891.

w dmeooio I I Suva M30;

V Gwen m1 UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

ELI WHITE, SODUS, YORK.

FOLDING HAY-RAG K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,227, dated October 13, 1891. Application filed January 28, 1891. Serial No. 379,361, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ELI WHITE, aresident of Sodus, in the county of Wayne and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Hay-Racks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a wagon-rack composed of separable and detachable parts or sections which can easily be applied to an ordinary farm-wagon or removed therefrom by a single person, and which can either be folded together in and upon the wagonbox or, being detached in'separate parts, can be stored in small compass; and the invention consists in the construction hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

, In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the rack applied to a wagon-box.

Fig. 2 is a section of the same on line x of tions, respectively, of a bolt, a hook, an end of a wagon-box, and a spring-hook.

Numeral 1 denotes a wagon-box, the sides of which extend below the floor, and which are held in properrelation to each other in any usual way. Bolts 2, however, can conveniently 1 be used at each end to prevent any possible spreading apart of said sides.

3 indicates one of the two endboards. These have tenons 4 on their ends at their upper side, which fit in mortises in the sides of the box, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7. The lower partof the end-board abuts against the side-boards immediately below the mortises which receive the said tenons. Such end-boards, together with the bolts arranged to cross each other and secured by nuts to the sides of the box, furnish suitable stays and bands for the box upon which the rackis placed. The sides of the boxarefurther tied together by bolts 5, which preferably are tubular and have screw-threaded ends, for which threaded openings are provided in the box sides and preferably on a plane below its floor, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. These rods are each applied by first screwing one end through one of said openings and then forcing the unthreaded part of therod through 5 5 until the said end reaches the opening in the opposite side, whereupon the bolt is screwed into the same, a similar threaded portion at the rear end of the rod simultaneously screwinginto the opening firstnamed. The thread- 6c ed parts of the rods are preferably made larger in diameter than the unthreaded portion. The box may be further strengthened by braces 6, which are secured to bolts 5, and pass upward and out through the sides of the box where they are secured.

The rackis composed of two series of clamps 7, each carrying a pivoted elbow 8, said e1 bows being connected to bars 9, riveted thereto, and the clamps being adapted to embrace the sides of the box.

Y 10 indicates a U shaped member of a clamp, and 11 11 two members or legs, each'rigidly connected to the part 10 and separated from it by a space equal to the thickness of the side of the box, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. They are also separated from each other by 1 a space wider than the arm 12 of the elbow 8, so as to permit the arm to bear directly upon the side of the box. These so-called 8c clamps are preferably castings, as also are the L-shaped pieces or elbows 8, which are pivoted to the clamps and between the lateral members thereof by means of a key or bolt 13. The openings through the clamp and elbows are in the main circular, but are each provided on one side with a slot 14 for the passage of the projection 15 of the bolt when it is inserted or removed lengthwise. The slots 14 in the openings of the clamp and 0 in the L-shaped casting or elbow are soarranged that they will register when the'shortf or horizontal member of the elbow is inlinfef with the legs of the clam p. To the'upper member of the elbow are secured by bolts or 5 otherwise parallel arms 9, between which are bolted spacing-blocks 17. A brace 18 is at one end fastened between these bars and at the other to the lower part of elbow 8. Bars running lengthwise of the rack are indicated by 19. These are bolted upon the double arms 9, the bolts passing between the arms being secured by nuts.

The construction and operation of the side sections of the rack can be understood in connection with the foregoing description. The clamps 7, of which there are eight in the present instance, are first placed upon the sides of the box and secured thereon by passing the bolts 5 through the said sides, as before described, (see Fig. 1 at 10,) and into the bottom of the L-shaped part of the clamp,whereby the latter are held against either upward or sidewise movement. The clamps having been suitably placed and secured, a section or frame is connected therewith on each side of the box. Each of these frames consists of elbows 8, equal in number to the clamps upon one side of the box, and of corresponding arms connected by cross-bars, as described. In applying thisframeit is held in: such relation to the clamps thatthe elbows enter between the sidevmembers'of said clamps, so that the openings and slots 14 in said clamps and e1 bows register, whereupon bolts 13 are inserted, the projections 15 at such times being. a able vto'pass through said slots.

The side sections can thereupon be turned to the position indicated in- Figs. 1 and 2 (full lines): and in Fig. 3;. In this position the lower member 12 of each elbow bears against the outside of the wagon-box. The boltsareweighted so as to hold their projections in position on the up perv side and normally aside from the Plane of the slots.v

The end sections oftherack are each composed oftwo standards 20, provided at their bottom with hooks 21, adapted to engage staples secured on the inside of theend-boards.

Preferably one. of the bolts used to secure'a hook.21' to av standard passes. throughaU- shaped iron 22, which embraces thestandard on three sides to prevent it from splitting. 23is a spring-hook for holding the standard against the end -board. 24 are U.-shaped ironssimilar'to irons 22, except that they'are providedwith an extension whereby two oppositely-placed irons may be connected together by means of. a bar 25.. The hooks 21 are held in secure engagement with the staples by the spring-hook 23, but not so as to prevent their easy disengagement when desired.

The adj ustmentindicated in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 2 is suitable for transporting. hay, straw, and the like, but if desired the side-sections may be turned up, as indicated by dotted lines in said: Fig. 2. This latter arrangement will be found suitable for the transportation of small live stock and many other articles.

The clamps, elbows, and some of the other minor parts are preferably made of cast malleable iron, the arms 16 and various connect-ing parts of steel, and the longitudinal bars-and the standards of wood but the invention is not confined toparticular materials,.nor does the gist of my invention consist in particulars which may be easily varied by mechanical skill without departing from the substantial principles of construction and 'pacit-y to be folded down in the box.

operation. It is deemed-of special importance that the rack be made .inseparate sections, which can be easily applied to a wagonbox or removed therefrom by one person, and that it does not obstruct materially the interior of the box, and also that it has the ca- Thus each pair of standards, when unhooked from the side sections and from the box end, can

be turned down upon the bottom of the box and the side sections can be turned down into the box, one then lying upon the other,

the whole, together with the box, being thereby placed in comparatively compact form. The side bars are made of such length as to permit being folded down into the box.

.Racks have heretofore-been adapted. to be folded down upon the top of the box, but such arrangement is not so well adapted to provide for the use of the wagon-box for variouspurposes when the'rack is folded.

It is not regarded as essential thatthe U- .shaped part of the clamps extend below the floor of the box, nor that rods 5 are thus 10- lated, nor is the precise form of the damper elbow, nor the duplex form of bars, nor the particular braces. essential. to the general advantages of myimprovement, though the best forms andconstructions known to-me are those shown and described.

Having'tlius described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. Ina wagon-rack, thesidesectionsihinged to clamps, said clamps resting on the side- 'boards of the box and embracing their exterior and having members extending down in contact with and. inside the. box sides through its bottom, and means for fastening said members below the box, whereby the tendency of the load to spread the box later ally is resisted, substantially as set forth.

2. In a'wagon-rack, the side sections hinged to clamps, said clamps resting on'the sideboards of the boxand embracing their exterior and having members extending down in contact with and inside the box sides throughits bottom, and means for fastening said members below the box, whereby thetendency of the loadto spread the box laterally is resisted, said side sections being'made shorter than the box, substantially as so forth.

3. In a wagon rack, oppositelyplaced clamps fitting the sides of the wagon-box and having a U shaped member extending below the bottomof the. box, and a bolt passing through the sides of the box and within the U-shaped members of the clamp, whereby the box isbound together and theclamps aresecured against vertical and sidewise movement on the same, substantially as setforth.

4. In a wagon rack, oppositely placed clamps fitting the sides of the wagon-box and having a U-shaped member exten'd-ing'b'elow the bottom of the box, and a bolt' passing through the sides of the box and Within the U-shaped members of the clamp, and braces 6, secured to said bolt and to the sides of the parts and having an arm 12 between them, box, whereby the box is bound together and both the clamp and the elbow being adapted the clamps are secured against vertical and sidewise movement on the same, substantially as set forth.

5. For use on a wagon-box rack, the clamp adapted to fit the box side, having its inner member extended down and secured below the box bottom and having-its outer member composed of two parts 11, combined with an elbow pivoted between the upper ends of said to bear on the outside of the box, substantially as set forth. y

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing, witnesses.

ELI WHITE. Witnesses:

BENJ..R. CATLIN, ARCH. M. CATLIN. 

